Molecular & Structural Biology

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ALS Stem Cell Model Reveals Increased Susceptibility to Cell Death

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fast-progressing neurodegenerative disease with an average survival time of three years. In ALS, certain types of neurons called motor neurons that are required for muscle contractions die off, leading to progressive paralysis affecting most muscles of the body. The molecular causes of ALS are poorly understood, and effective treatments are missing.

20 Dec 2024

SMART Software Unlocks New Insights into Cellular Dynamics

Researchers at University of California San Diego have developed and tested a new software package, called Spatial Modeling Algorithms for Reactions and Transport (SMART), that can realistically simulate cell-signaling networks -; the complex systems of molecular interactions that allow cells to respond to diverse cues from their environment.

20 Dec 2024

High-Resolution Technique Maps Ribosome Elongation Cycle

At one time or another, most of us have played with a flipbook, using our thumbs to rapidly flip a series of pictures to create an illusion of movement.

20 Dec 2024

Chaperone Proteins Unveil Their Role in Neurotransmission

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first to show how proteins called "chaperones" are vital in ensuring that neurons can transmit signals to one another. When this neurotransmission breaks down, devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's along with many others, can occur.

19 Dec 2024

Scientists Mimic Fungal Process to Create Novel Medicines

Since the unintentional 1928 discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, fungi have been a treasure trove of medicinal compounds for almost a century.

19 Dec 2024

Researchers Uncover Ketamine’s Effect on Astrocytes in Zebrafish

The decades-old anesthetic ketamine could be a game changer for treating severe depression, but there are still many questions about how the drug works, including exactly how it affects the brain's cells and circuits.

18 Dec 2024

New Insights into Photosystem II Megacomplex Assembly in Plants

In higher plants and green algae, Photosystem II (PSII) usually combines with Light Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) to form the PSII-LHCII supercomplex.

18 Dec 2024

Scientists Discover Key to Overcoming Cancer's Evasion Tactics

A cunning culprit that aids cancer cells in avoiding CAR T cell therapy has been identified by researchers at City of Hope®, one of the biggest and most cutting-edge cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, with a comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles that is ranked among the top five cancer centers in the country by US News & World Report.

18 Dec 2024

A revolutionary antibody approach to fight cancer by restoring cellular fitness

Ovarian cancer cells exploit cell competition by altering Flower protein isoforms in stromal cells, promoting tumor survival and potential therapeutic targets.

18 Dec 2024

Researchers Map Influenza Virus RNA Protective Coat at Atomic Level

To fight the virus that causes influenza, one of the avenues being explored by scientists is the development of drugs capable of destabilizing its genome, made up of eight RNA molecules.

17 Dec 2024

New Method for Discovering Antibiotics from Bacteria

Numerous natural products produced by microorganisms can be utilized as active ingredients to treat illnesses like cancer and infections.

16 Dec 2024

Researchers Uncover Lamin A's Role in DNA Repair and Premature Aging Disease

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have discovered how a protein called lamin A helps repair the protective barrier around a cell's DNA.

16 Dec 2024

Scientists Discover New Twist in DNA Looping Mechanism

Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Delft University of Technology and the IMP Vienna Biocenter discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes.

16 Dec 2024

New Look at the Last Universal Common Ancestor

Revising genetic code evolution, this research uncovers early amino acid recruitment patterns and sulfur's significance for understanding extraterrestrial life.

13 Dec 2024

Advancing Sequential DNA Computing for Programmable Devices

DNA stores the instructions for life and, along with enzymes and other molecules, computes everything from hair color to risk of developing diseases.

13 Dec 2024

Unveiling the Molecular Mechanisms of N2O Reduction in Deep-Sea Bacteria

Scientists unearth a clue to the molecular mechanisms involved in N2O reduction by deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria.

13 Dec 2024

The Mechanics Behind Crocodile Morphology: A Breakthrough in Evolutionary Biology

How do humans account for the variety of morphologies found in living things? Genetics is usually the first explanation that comes to mind, but it is not the only one.

12 Dec 2024

Discovery of 18-Digit Code Unlocks Exosome-Based Drug Delivery

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered an 18-digit code that allows proteins to attach themselves to exosomes - tiny pinched-off pieces of cells that travel around the body and deliver biochemical signals.

12 Dec 2024

Ribosomal Fingerprints: A Novel Approach to Early Cancer Detection

Different types of cancer have unique molecular 'fingerprints' which are detectable in early stages of the disease and can be picked up with near-perfect accuracy by small, portable scanners in just a few hours, according to a study published today in the journal Molecular Cell.

11 Dec 2024

New Brain Mapping Reveals Connections Behind Higher Order Functions

A new way of mapping activity and connections between different regions of the brain has revealed fresh insights into how higher order functions like language, thought and attention, are organized.

9 Dec 2024